Muscat Street in Singapore is one of the popular locations in the Kampong Gelam neighborhood and attracts both tourists a
nd visitors.
In the 1800s to the early 1900s, Muscat Street was full of traders doing their business.
The street has paintings and architecture based on Omani culture, such as ships, Omani flags, date trees, and others.
Muscat Street was renovated in November 2012 under a collaboration project between Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Muscat Municipality. This small street is seen as a reminder of Singapore’s connection with Arab traders in early history.
According to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the iconic project to redevelop Muscat Street highlighted the close links between Singapore and Oman.
It was officially opened on November 8, 2012, by Singaporean Minister K Shanmugam and Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, the current Foreign Minister, who was then Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At both ends of Muscat Street are 8-metre-high granite arches displaying ornate Omani carvings.
The street is also decorated with granite murals and mosaic artwork. Omani artists and the tiles painted in the murals were specially selected and imported from Oman.
The murals present unique aspects of Omani culture. The khanjar, for example, is a traditional Omani dagger; it is curved and sharpened on both edges and is usually carried in a sheath decorated with silver filigree. The dallah is a metal pot with a long spout to make and serve Arabic coffee.
The murals also depict one of Oman’s many forts, which give a glimpse of Oman’s rich history.
Kampong Glam is known as Singapore’s Muslim Quarter. Its 19th-century shophouses have been turned into stores selling textiles and casual restaurants serving spicy Malay and global fare.
Notable landmarks here include the golden-domed Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Centre, where exhibits focus on local history. Clothing boutiques, street art, and trendy Haji Lane.
THE JEWEL OF MUSCAT
A mural along Muscat Street also features the Jewel of Muscat, a State Gift from the Late Sultan Qaboos to the Government and People of Singapore. The Jewel of Muscat project symbolises the revival of the ancient trading routes that linked Asia and the Middle East.
It is a replica of a 9th-century Arabian ship carrying Chinese artefacts, salvaged off Belitung Island in the Java Sea in 1998.
The dhow is 18 metres long and 6 metres wide and was constructed using planks hand-sewn together with coconut fibres, similar to 9th-century Arab shipbuilding methods.
With a crew of 15 sailors, including Omanis and Singaporeans the Jewel of Muscat spent 68 days at sea, while the entire voyage lasted 138 days, and covered 3,580 nautical miles (the equivalent of 4,119 miles or 6,630 kilometres). The crew used 9th-century navigational methods throughout the voyage.
The main tool used is a kamal that determines a ship’s latitude based on the sightings of known stars.
The dhow arrived in Singapore on July 3, 2010.
Since the launch of the Jewel of Muscat project in 2007, there have been many high-level visits between Singapore and Oman, including a State Visit by then President S R Nathan in 2009, Singapore’s foreign ministry says. The ‘Jewel of Muscat,’ a meticulously reconstructed 9th-century Arab trading dhow (ship), embarked on a remarkable journey from the Sultanate of Oman to Singapore, covering 6,000 kilometres. This voyage symbolised the revival of historical maritime connections and heralded a new chapter in the bilateral relations between Oman and Singapore.
The grand replica found its permanent home at the Maritime Experiential Museum in Sentosa Resorts World, Singapore, while a scaled model, accompanied by an explanatory plaque, graced the Marina in Al Mouj, Muscat.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
